True Lightning
by MissLightningStrike
Summary: Maiko abandons her home of the Village Hidden in the Mist in order to escape the cruelty of the new Mizukage. Her defection leads her on the road of a missing nin, but when her abilities earn her a place among the Akatsuki, she struggles to find her way. Rated M for Hidan's colourful language and maybe some spicy stuff later.
1. Prologue

True Lightning

_Prelude_

* * *

After 49 hours of struggled steps and restless nights, accompanied only by the gentle hum of the ocean and her own weak shadow, she had finally made her way out of The land of Water and into a small coastal town across the border. Safe from Hidden Mist anbu

* * *

The young kunoichi tapped her fingernails impatiently on the receptionist's bamboo desk, rolling her eyes as the the trainee struggled with various pieces of paperwork and keys.

"Have you been here before?" she asked shakily, a fake smile plastered onto her pretty, delicate face. Her emotions ran vivid in her eyes as her pale blue orbs swiftly passed over the dark patches of blood that stained the shinobi's clothing. Her flamboyant character was easily overpowered by the intimidating teen.

The kunoichi returned her gaze to the fearful assistant, eyes narrowing as she subtly cleared her throat. Fatigue and blood loss were beginning to take control of her body, leaving her weak and fragile.

"No," she replied shortly, gripping the desk to keep herself from falling from exhaustion, simply standing was becoming a losing battle. The lobby was bright with natural light and the overwhelming floral scent of the receptionist's perfume was headache inducing, only worsening the situation.

"Well, you should visit the gardens. They are so beautiful, my sister had her wedding there last month," the receptionist chatted in a desperate attempt to lighten the mood as she guided a calligraphy brush across a page, leaving neat, black characters. She then proceeded to busy herself with a small wooden box filled with silver keys, each with a small coloured tag attached, inscripted with a cursive number. Occasionally she plucked one from the box, examined it briefly before shuffling through the keys once again.

Maiko swayed dangerously, resting her elbows against the wooden surface to balance herself, closing her eyes to steady her fading mind.

"Honestly, how long is this going to take," Maiko sighed in annoyance, only to be further frustrated as the girl shakily dropped the keys in fear.

"Ahh here it is." She bent over her chair and rose with a single silver key in between her dainty fingers. She passed the key into Maiko's rough, bloodied palms, carefully avoiding contact with the shinobi's skin. "Room 14 is just down this hallway, if you..."

Maiko began stumbling down the indicated hallway as the receptionist continued rattling off various instructions and rules from behind the desk. She was halfway down the window-lined hall before she heard a pause and a feminine sigh of relief from the main office.

Barely sparing her room a second glance, Maiko shuffled across the slippery, wooden floors towards the bed. Using her remaining strength she gently laid herself down onto the soft mattress; head resting on the cheap, plush hotel pillow. Still adorned in her dirtied, bloodstained jounin outfit, she allowed her eyes to close as she slowly drifted off into unconsciousness.


	2. Chapter 1

True Lightning

_Chapter 1_

* * *

_This is not what she had intended. _

_She had only tried her best, with the best of intentions. _

_She found herself wandering the empty streets of her home. Stone walls loomed over her, though their height only brought her comfort, a warm sensation of security like a mother's embrace. She traced her hand along the smooth rock only to find cracks spreading along the familiar buildings. Cracks she had never noticed before. _

'_Where did things go wrong?' She lamented, not truly accepting the severity of the situation. _

'_This corruption has been here longer than you,' the answer was tucked neatly behind her attachment to the village. _

_Attachment? Or obligation? They are much the same. _

'_No, of course not, they are not synonymous,' she thought distractedly, batting away at the arguing voices in her head. Besides, Kirigakure is her home, it's natural to want to serve the people of your village. _

"_But the people of the village don't want you here." Maiko spun around attempting to pinpoint the voice to no avail. The words bounced between the cold, stone walls, echoing all around her. She felt herself being pushed towards the wall. _

"_Why would we want a foreigner like you as our 'protector'?"_

"_And she wanted to be Mizukage."_

"_It's not like she's truly a part of this village."_

"_How did you expect the protege of that monster to turn out? Should've died with him if you ask me."_

_Maiko cried out as cold hands began to press her into the wall. The street was loud, too loud. The voices had risen, shouting now, the echoes only increasing the pressure. _

_They screamed, and she screamed back. _

_Their screams echoed for generations._

_Her screams died away. _

* * *

A pained hiss escaped Maiko's lips as fresh wounds met water. Her face contorted as she gently lowered herself into the mildly scalding bath house water, her rigid form relaxing as the pain subsided. A sigh escaped her cracked lips as the soothing water began to remove the dirt and blood that stained her pale skin. She gave a few violent tugs on the hair tie that held her knotted, filthy brunette strands in a ponytail before the tie snapped. Slipping beneath the water's surface, she ran her fingers through her hair to remove the grease and blood that it held.

She examined a rather painful wound that decorated her abdomen. Now that the water had cleared away the dried blood she could see that is would definitely need stitches. She gave a frustrated groan, annoyed at her foolish lack of medical skills.

She thought of last night's dream, recalling the nightmarish scene left her with a strong feeling of anxiety, or maybe misery, but her mind couldn't leave it behind. She had briefly entertained the idea that it could mean something, but she was amused by her own mild acceptance of such superstitious nonsense.

After several more minutes of lounging in the water, Maiko arose, her skin red from the hot water. She quickly dried off before wrapping herself in a plush, white robe.

"Hope they don't mind pink robes," she mused, grimacing at the dark stains that were already spreading across the torso of the gown. She dumped her clothes in the laundry for the maid before retreating to her room.

Perched upon the edge of the bed, needle in hand, she began the tedious job of stitching. A large kunai cut stretched horizontally across her torso, not deep enough to be fatal, but blood loss was a risk Maiko wasn't willing to take. Wincing, she held the cut together before inserting the needle and tugging the thread through to the other side. She tied the thread into a knot, then began the process again.

Maiko tied the final 12th stitch, her fingers and stomach covered in fresh blood. She stared dazily down at her handiwork, her vision caving in around her. Closing her eyes, she laid back before she gave in to unconsciousness.

Maiko awoke to the sound of an opening door and a terrified feminine gasp. The blinding afternoon light began to subside, and she recognized her surroundings as a hotel room. Rubbing her eyes she looked up to see a young maid rapidly drop her neatly folded clothes on the table beside the wardrobe before giving a curious glance, a slight squeal and running out of the room. Lifting an eyebrow, Maiko looked down to see that her midsection was surrounded by dark blood. Understandably a horrifying sight for a civilian.

With a pained groan, Maiko heaved herself off the sticky surface of the bed and limped over to her medical pack on the table. She shuffled the items around before pulling out a roll of bandage. Holding the end of the cloth to the side of her torso, she began to wind the bandage around her stomach, covering the wound. The bleeding had ceased shortly after she stitched the cut, but would need at least a few days to heal, not to mention her chakra depletion.

After wiping her slightly bloodied hands on the already stained robe, she picked up the newly cleaned clothes the maid left. Maiko examined the stain-free jounin outfit, a look of grief washing over her features as she studied the articles of clothing. She cautiously dressed herself, careful not to put too much strain on the weak stitches.

_'If only I was a medical nin,'_ she thought regretfully, shuddering as she reached outwards to pull her vest over her shoulders.

She turned to pack her medical bag before a glint of light caught her eye. Staring back down at the table her eyes fell upon the reflective surface; the metal plate of her Kirigakure forehead protector. An uncomfortable feeling settled in her stomach as she placed the hitai-ate on her hand before reaching into her thigh pouch and pulling out a kunai.

Loyalty had always meant a lot to Maiko, loyalty to the village in particular. Despite their spiteful attitudes, she had wanted to repay the people of Kirigakure, she owed them that much. They were good people, easily influenced but they had good-intentions. It was impossible to blame them for the political warfare that ultimately led her here. And that fact alone made her defection difficult.

Maiko held the blade at the edge of the symbol carved into the metal plate. '_You are a rogue ninja now after all, these theatrics are customary.' _The blade pierced the hitai-ate, and her arm tensed as she prepared to strike the symbol. Maiko paused before replacing her kunai into her pouch. '_It would be wasteful to blunt a kunai,' _she convinced herself hastily, as she stared at the slight indent in the metal. '_Besides, my forehead protector can serve as a memento of sorts, a reminder of my debt to Kirigakure. And despite this...inconvenience, I cannot let that debt go unpaid.' _

* * *

"_You know everyone else is finding creative ways to tie their hitai-ate.." Saizo urged with a quick glance around the classroom filled with freshly graduated genin._

"_So?" Maiko replied, rolling her eyes as she continued to knot the material behind her head._

"_Maybe we should do the same."_

"_Why? It's more practical this way, it keeps my bangs away from my face. Besides, it's not a __**forehead**_ _protector if it's not on my __**forehead**__."_

"_Yeah, I guess…" Saizo sighed, but tied his hitai-ate around his neck nevertheless._

* * *

It wasn't that she didn't want to make friends, it was simply that she couldn't see why where you tied your hitai-ate was so important. It seemed shallow and superficial to make such a deal about it.

* * *

"_Wow, how creative Maiko-Chan," teased a sarcastic feminine voice. Maiko glared up at the young kunoichi towering above her desk. "You must be the only one wearing it like that"_

"_Who cares," she sighed, attempting to stay as nonchalant about the situation as possible. But Maiko had never been blessed with virtue of patience or tolerance, and annoyance was visible in her eyes. _

"_Hmph, whatever Maiko-__**Hime**__," the girl replied, tossing head around dramatically as she turned to walk away, causing her hitai-ate which had been tied around the base of her ponytail to be flung out of her hair and onto the floor. Maiko let out an amused chuckle as the girl scrambled to pick up the forehead protector. _

_None of the other students laughed. Maiko's chuckles quickly diminished as she briefly looked around to observe the hateful stares that weighed down upon her. It wasn't a new experience, she was two years younger than the others in the graduating class yet she still excelled, earning herself the title of 'Rookie of the year'. _

_Ignoring the whispers she held her head high, staring boredly towards the front of the classroom. The students soon returned to their usual chatter and Maiko let out a tiny breath of relief as the attention was drawn away from her. _

_Perhaps it was the age gap, maybe her proficiency, or most probably her lack of social skills, but from the moment she moved into the class she was met with constant loathing. And underneath her facade of bored glares, hid an envious little girl. Her classmates would leave at the end of the day to play with their friends and go home to meals cooked by loving mothers, and Maiko would return from long hours of training to an empty house._

_A gentle nudge stole her attention and she turned to face a grinning Saito. She took solace in his comforting smile and remembered she was not completely alone. _

* * *

"Who is she? hm," A voice called. Rinnegan eyes turned towards the source of the voice. A blond strolled casually into the dark alcove. A violently flickering flame threw warm light from a fire pit in the middle of the niche, briefly illuminating the cave walls with strange, random patterns.

"A defector from the Village Hidden in the Mist. She will be our next recruit."

"And only Sasori and I are going to retrieve her? It took three people to get me to join, hm."

"And only one of them to subdue you," a new voice mocked boredly. The blond lowered his head in frustration at the new comer's comment, opening his mouth comically to retort. The leader raised his hand, effectively silencing the blond.

"You two will bring her to the Akatsuki base on the border of the Land of Fire and Amegakure. I will meet you there to complete the orientation. Zetsu has some useful information that should aid in her compliance."

"And her location?" the third voice inquired from the shadows.

"Zetsu has tracked her to a small, coastal village just across the border of the Land of Water. She was injured during her escape and has taken refuge in a hotel. You will begin your mission as soon as possible. She will be much easier to deal with whilst incapacitated," the leader replied facing the wooden figure.

"Hai," the puppet and blond pair answered giving slight nods.

The two cloaked figures walked side by side along a well trodden road through the Land of Fire towards the border of the Land of Water.

The two walked in silence, a certain anticipation radiating as they approached a small fishing village close to the coast.

"What do you think she's like Sasori-danna?" The taller of the two asked, a smirk firmly placed on his face.

"Abrasive most likely, Deidara. Mist ninja have a tendency to be quite...aggressive," a hoarse voice replied." Deidara nodded in understanding, thinking for a moment before letting his curiosity get the better of him.

"What did Zetsu say?" He waited for a reply patiently. Several moments passed and he twitched in annoyance as he still received no reply. "Danna?"

The puppet growled in frustration and began violently waving the scroll he had been holding out to blond. A look of embarrassed realisation briefly washed over Deidara's face before he reached to take the scroll. He scanned the lengthy document with glazed eyes, almost amused by the amount of information Zetsu had recovered. "What kind of S-rank shinobi lets this much information out? Hm."

"Read the final paragraph."

Deidara raised an eyebrow at his partner as he opened the scroll further. He let out a low whistle as he examined the last and longest paragraph. "That explains why there's so much information then, hm." He closed the scroll and passed it back to his partner absently, his thoughts occupied by the report.

"It seems that Pein had planned this a long time ago," Sasori concluded.

They proceeded towards a weather-worn arch, coastal winds had eroded the wood to near breaking point. The main street was lined with market stalls surrounded by groups of shopping civilians. As evening approached the crowds disbanded, allowing the pair of travellers to make their way through the streets with ease.

"Room 14? hm," Deidara casually asked with a gentle smirk.

"Umm...I'm really not supposed to hand out keys…" the receptionist giggled, reaching for the box of spare keys nevertheless. Bashfully she kept her eyes firmly planted on the key between her fingers as she reached towards his outstretched hand, a blush creeping up her slim cheeks. Moments later, a gasp escaped her painted lips as she dropped the key onto the mouth on Deidara's palm. The young employee quickly returned to a normal seated position, eyes lowered, as she began rapidly reciting directions and rules.

"Thanks, hm," Deidara muttered, with a slight look of annoyance due to the girl's haste to retreat from his unique palms. Deidara began his walk down the hallway followed closely by Sasori.

The receptionist glanced up from her bench to see the blond man leave, a strange dragging noise following him. Peering over the desk, she saw a short figure follow him down the hall; a metal tail sticking out from the hem of the creature's cloak.

"Maybe I'm not cut out for being a receptionist" she whispered as she returned to her seat, her hand held over her chest to calm her rapidly beating heart.

* * *

Lifting the hem of her shirt, Maiko stared down at the slowly healing wound that decorated the pale skin of her torso. Her lack of medical nin abilities had left the the cut in a terrible state, surrounded by a painfully purple bruise that had spread around her stomach. She needed a medic, but finding a chakra user so close to Hidden Mist territory was a dangerous game.

She had indulged for far too long. Reminiscing was not a useful way to spend valuable time. Remaining in the same place for such a long time was surrounded by countless risks.

_'Where to go? What to do?' _Maiko thought grimly. Her defection had been rushed, badly thought through. Not that she had many options at the time.

_'Become a mercenary nin?'_ She needed money and it seemed a logical path to take. '_If only I knew how to do that,'_ she thought as she began to flick through her knowledge of mercenaries. Kirigakure had a long history of supplying missing ninja and until recently, Maiko had often led teams to track down rogue nins.

She was aware of organisations dedicated to hiring S-rank ninja, but gaining entry into such an organisation would be near impossible without a spy network to locate them. If she still intended to protect Kiri, perhaps working on her own was best.

* * *

"_She's a threat Mei. You are aware of how close she was to Yagura are you not? And we both know what happened to him. She is probably being controlled as well!"_

"_That's enough Denka, she was just following orders."_

"_Ha! so was Yagura. He single-handedly started the 'Reign of Ferity', anyone else under their control could do the same."_

_Maiko held her breath. From behind the wall of the Mizukage's office she could hear every word._

"_She was just as terrified by Yagura's rule as any other member of the village."_

"_Believe what you wish Mei, but Maiko isn't that innocent. Besides she's not even truly a member of this village is she! Think of her origins Mei, perhaps she isn't under their control, but she could be quite easily under his." _

"_Maiko only has the best in mind for the village, she has long since proved her worth, Denka."_

_Silence followed and Maiko realised that the conversation was coming to an end. Swiftly, she stepped away from the door and silently moved down the hall. 'His? My origins?' She thought, confusion only trumped by the underlying threat of imprisonment. It was no secret that the people of the village didn't trust her, and she had one person to blame for that. _

_Moments later the door opened and out stepped a tall golden haired woman._

"_Maiko!" she called after the kunoichi's retreating figure. Maiko quietly sighed before turning to face the woman._

"_Denka," she acknowledged bitterly, bowing her head slightly to the Mizukage's advisor._

"_How long have you been here?" Denka asked, taking a quick glance back at the door to the office."...I would hate to think that you've been waiting."_

"_Not long," Maiko lied, a bored facade hiding her distress with ease. _

* * *

It had been impossible for her to stay in the Mist village, she was being targeted. The orders that she had carried out during the 'Reign of Ferity' had made the people uneasy. All it took was a rumour here and there and that uneasiness became loathing. She was a 'monster' that Denka could vanquish.

"Self-pity will not help me," Maiko reprimanded, irritated by her own unproductive state. She had her purpose, and what mattered now was her plan. "This whole incident is just a...slight...complication. I will recover-" Maiko froze suddenly. Footsteps had stopped outside her door followed by the faint rattling of a key in a lock. She frowned at the door, '_do the maids not understand what knocking is?' _Her scowl deepened as the rattling became more violent.

"Argh, this stupid lock! hm," yelled a frustrated voice.

"What are you doing you brat, hurry up and open the door." Maiko cautiously reached into her pouch for a kunai, suspiciously eyeing the door. '_These people aren't maids.' _

"Oh! I'll open the door...Katsu!" A momentary silence hung in the air before a white flash illuminated the room, accompanied by a deafening bang.

Maiko brought her arms in front of her face as shards of the door showered around her.

"There, who needs keys when you have art, hm," the bomber exclaimed smugly as he peered through the space which previously harboured a door.

Maiko glared in shocked distaste, '_what kind of imbecile-'_

"Yes, Deidara, very impressive defeating a door," the shorter of the two sarcastically slurred as he walked passed the irritated blonde and into the smoke-filled hotel room. Shards of wood were scattered across the floorboards and furniture and the room had filled with the smoky result of explosives.

Maiko stared at the short, obviously weaponised, puppet that had entered her room and it's companion. They were clearly not Hidden Mist ANBU, but their attire suggested that they belonged to some sort of organisation. Both were adorned with conical straw hats with tassels that hung in front of their faces, and wore long, dark cloaks, decorated with red clouds. Aside from the identical wardrobe, the pair shared no physical traits. One was of average human build with long blond hair that showed from beneath the tassels before disappearing beneath the collar of the cloak. The other was incredibly short and quite wide. A majority of his face was hidden behind the adornments of the hat, but ugly, sculpted features could be distinguished from beneath the material.

"What do you think you're doing?" She inquired, enunciating each word slowly. Her eyes narrowed as the explosive partner casually strolled into the room to join the puppet.

"We have come to discuss your employment" the puppet replied, his voice was gravelly but professional.

"I was talking about my door," Maiko retorted, rolling her eyes.

"OH MY GOD!" a screaming feminine voice echoed from the lobby.

Maiko breathing quickened, she narrowed her eyes and began to formulate an escape. '_Two minutes maximum, the window, the forest...But these two...'_ she turned to look at the pair before her.

"Ugh, village shinobi incoming," the blond groaned.

"What is this? You are the one's that brought this attention here," Maiko responded, frustrated by the blond shinobi's lack of subtlety. The shinobi frowned at her hostility.

Maiko's tough facade began to fade as more voices gathered in the lobby, and she quickly went about gathering her belongings. Maiko had hoped to remain in the shadows at least until her wounds had healed, she was in no state for round two with the Kirigakure Black-ops.

"The situation is not ideal, but it seems my partner's reckless decisions -"

"Hey! It's not my fault the door failed at it's job, un!" the blond defended with a smirk, clearly satisfied at the result of his explosives.

"- has alerted surrounding nin, a mutual problem of the three of us," the puppet continued with a frustrated sigh as he watched the her pace around the room.

'_A mutual problem? Employment?' _Maiko ran the words again in her head as she turned to face them. They clearly meant business; a weaponised puppet and a rash, explosive shinobi. Slowly she raised her head to examine the shinobi. He was tall, with long blond hair and a single visible eye, vibrant blue. The glinting strip of metal on his forehead caught her gaze; the typical symbol that represented Iwagakure scarred with a single, rough horizontal line carved across the metallic surface. A single, horizontal line. '_So they are rogue shinobi…part of an organisation no less,'_ she thought with a small smile as a plan started to form. These two were the perfect opportunity.

Maiko may not have actually committed treason, but this pair must know how to survive if you have. Despite her loyalties, Maiko knew that she couldn't achieve anything if she was dead at the hands of the people she is trying to protect. '_And besides, talking is all I really need from these two right now anyway.'_

"We continue this conversation in the forest," Maiko finally declared, turning to the puppet who met her gaze with a slow nod, suspicious of her new found interest.

"Please calm down, miss. Please tell us what happened." Voices and footsteps began to fill the hallway. Not a word passed between the three as they silently began to move. Maiko quickly dashed to the table; latching her kunai pouch over her thigh and swinging her katana over shoulder into the holster on her back, before leaping through the now open window. With a gentle push, she closed the window before running to join the two nin who were already making for the village gates.

* * *

The room was empty, the bloodstained sheets were the only sign that the room had been occupied. With a sigh, he turned to face the obliterated doorway. The detonation had caused the door to shatter whilst also destroying the surrounding wall.

There had been rumours of her presence here, but Maiko had never been fond of explosives; much too destructive and irrational for common use.

"Saito sir!" a familiar voice called as a young kiri-kunoichi cautiously stepped through the deteriorating gap in the wall.

"Akira, did the receptionist have any information?"

"Yes, I was given a full description of the girl occupying this room. She gave an account of a brunette teenage kunoichi in a Hidden Mist jounin uniform with a particularly...er...impatient personality," Akira reported, glancing around the room quickly to evaluate the situation herself.

"Anything else?"

"Er, yes. She also described two particularly strange characters that had entered minutes before the explosion. Black cloaks, with red clouds," she answered obliviously.

"Interesting," he replied, as he turned his attention to window on the opposing wall. "It seems Kiri-nin are no longer the only group hunting Maiko."

* * *

They had barely passed the village walls when Maiko caught up to the pair, the heavy, wooden body of the puppet slowing the duo. Together they ran in silence towards the upcoming forest of the Land of Fire. Their pace was hardly respectable, resulting in Maiko's unshakable anxiety.

"Do you have a top speed higher than that of a snail?" She snarked with annoyance, accompanied by another anxious glance over her shoulder. A low growl emitted from the wooden creature as laughter erupted from his companion.

"We hardly have to worry about mere village shinobi," the puppet explained coldly. Trees began to surround the trio as they ventured further into the woodland. After moving through the forest for several more minutes, the puppet came to a sudden halt, the other two shinobi following suit shortly after. The Akatsuki pair turned to face the young rogue kunoichi.

"I guess you deserve some answers, un."


	3. Chapter 2

True Lightning

_Chapter 2_

* * *

"Who are you?" Evening chirps echoed around the thick forest, filling the tense silence.

"We come on behalf of the akatsuki," the puppet spoke mechanically. "The organisation exclusively recruits S-rank nin." Maiko processed the information, realising the implications she raised her eyebrow as she recalled the unprofessional behaviour of the blond shinobi. The puppet caught her skeptical gaze -

"Though some are employed for possessing special talents," coating his words with irritation as he glared at the oblivious bomber.

"And you want to employ me? What would be expected of me?" Maiko inquired, hoping for less calculated answers now the puppet was distracted. '_This Akatsuki could be my opportunity,' _she thought. '_An organisation of S-rank nin is the kind of security that could extremely useful. Though, it is a waste if it contradicts my plan for Kiri.'_

"Basic missions, assassinations, mercenary work. Consider us a league of wanted mercenaries." The blond shinobi shifted, uncomfortable with the vastly different description than he had received.

"Hm," this piqued Maiko's interest, but she was skeptical as she noted the blond's discomfort. "There's something else." It wasn't a question. The puppet glared at the bomber who ignored his partner's intense gaze. He let out a soft growl, his patience of the situation dissipating with every passing moment.

"We are occasionally called upon to complete missions of a larger scale." The puppet assessed her reaction carefully, deciding whether it was wise to continue.

"Such as…?" He paused for a second, a gesture Maiko interpreted as him considering his options.

"The 'organisation's' goal however...is the extraction of the tailed beasts. To wield their combined power." Maiko frowned, but was ultimately surprised, she had expected something more grotesque from an organisation of traitors and murderers.

"The combined power? How?" She questioned, a curious glint in her eye.

"A sealing ritual which allows us to collect the tailed beasts from their hosts," Sasori finished boredly, much more calm now that the tense crisis had passed.

Maiko however, was in deep contemplation. '_I have heard this before…'_ she frowned in frustration for not realising sooner.

* * *

_The village was motionless, shrouded in a dark atmosphere. But no tears were shed. No flowers placed upon his grave. Perhaps some would grieve. But to most, it was purely a relief._

_Yagura, the Fourth Mizukage, was dead. It was rumoured a secretive organisation had assassinated him due to his status as a jinchuriki. That's all anyone knew, just rumours. Even Maiko herself was unsure of the situation. There was a small amount of gossip accusing Maiko of the murder. A jealous subordinate ready to take his place? A scandalous story is always favoured over the truth._

* * *

_'Perhaps some of the rumours weren't entirely wrong' _Maiko thought.

"Were you responsible for the death of Mizukage Yagura?" Silence greeted her as the puppet considered the answer. The blond only looked between the two in confusion.

"Yes. Our leader wanted to end the...horrors in the Mist," the puppet lied flawlessly.

"Oh?" Maiko's eyes widened in surprise. '_Well this is unexpected'_. The murder of Yagura didn't trouble her, she would be lying to say she wasn't slightly scared of his tyranny. The death and pain endured during his leadership was something truly terrifying, especially that placed upon the youngest of the village. Especially that she was ordered to enforce herself. The fact that the Akatsuki had eliminated him for his actions was only another reason to help them.

'_It's the logical path to take. Security and noble intentions.' _She wasn't naive enough to believe she had heard the whole truth. Using the combined power of the tailed beasts was unheard of, and sounded an awful amount like world domination, something that could hinder her own plans considerably.

"You wish to protect your village, correct?" Sasori strategically inquired, sensing her hesitation. The accusation caused the Maiko to cast a suspicious glare at the puppet. "You wish to free the Mist from its political corruption." Maiko processed each word carefully, this was all very well planned apparently. She was impressed by the amount of information they had acquired, to know the inner workings of a person is an incredibly powerful advantage.

"The Akatsuki works to better the shinobi world. With the Akatsuki you can achieve your goal," Sasori spoke, breaking free of his indifferent nature in order to persuade the kunoichi. Deidara almost winced as he watched Maiko take the puppet's lies to heart and realised just how manipulative Sasori could be. "Yagura was just the beginning. The Akatsuki will cleanse the 'Bloody Mist'."

The puppet was using her good intentions against her. Maiko had realised this, but they seemed to share her goals, killing Yagura proved that.

"Very well, I will join you," Maiko declared, glancing between the two Akatsuki shinobi. Beneath the wooden carcass, Sasori smirked in victory. Deidara watched with mixed emotions. _'Why would anyone join this organisation by choice,' _he thought bitterly, not to mention the girl seemed as uptight as Sasori himself, hardly a fun addition to the organisation. '_At least she's something to look at, hm.'_

"The name's Deidara, hm," the blonde introduced with smirk.

"Maiko," she replied. Maiko turned towards to short puppet. After several seconds of staring, a rough 'hmph' emitted from the wooden carcass before the puppet began walking past the brunette.

"That is Sasori," the Deidara filled in as the he fell into step with kunoichi. The trio walked in silence, weaving in and out of the thick forestry. Maiko gazed up through the lacework of green above her, allowing a peaceful moment to admire the beauty of the fading orange sunset between the leaves. Despite her blissful state admiring the aesthetic qualities of her surroundings, a paranoid hand rested upon her kunai pocket, her guard remaining high at all times.

Barely a week had passed since the death of the Mizukage. His absence paved way for the insidious events that had left Maiko headed towards the organisation responsible for his death. The irony was not lost on her.

* * *

_"As sad a moment this is, we must move quickly to find a fifth," Denka hurriedly commented as she shifted in her new seat at the head of the table. Denka had filled the role of a temporary elder due to the recent passing of the previous. As her granddaughter, Denka claimed it was only natural she filled the role in the meantime._

_Chatter of who would be suitable for the kage position began to fill the room._

_"I believe Mei Terumi is showing promise-"_

_"Ah yes, lava release is quite valuable."_

_"I agree, she is a devoted shinobi, Mizukage material indeed."_

_"We must consider others as well, what of Maiko? She was groomed for this position." Maiko perked a little at hearing this, for as long as she could remember it had been her dream to fulfill the position of Mizukage. The role was the highest honour and the greatest sacrifice someone could make for their village. _

_"Maiko? She is a mere 15, far too young."_

_"She is a valuable jounin with her... er...kekkei genkai, and she was part of Yagura's ANBU team-"_

_"Is that something to be proud of?" Someone added quietly._

_The chatter died quickly as people threw awkward glances in Maiko's direction. The whole situation was unsurprising, her kekkei genkai alone was bound to fetch her a recommendation but that's where the people's affection wore off. People had little to like Maiko for; she wasn't particularly a person of the people and no one had much love for anyone remotely connected to Yagura. She had originally thought that being chosen as part of his ANBU team would precede becoming Mizukage. But she was young and naive then, and had since then learned that people don't trust things they don't like or anything remotely related to it. Conversation had once again picked up around her as she wallowed in her thoughts. Several candidates were discussed with Mei eventually being chosen as the new Mizukage._

* * *

"So Maiko," Deidara started.

"Hm?" She questioned turning to look at the blonde through the growing darkness.

"You have a kekkei genkai right? That's part of the reason you're here."

"Yes," she answered shortly, slightly uncomfortable with the idea of sharing personal matters with such an untrustworthy person.

"What is it? Hm."

Maiko merely answered him with an annoyed stare.

"Deidara, leave the girl alone, she obviously doesn't want to talk to the likes of you," Sasori intervened.

"Well she definitely wouldn't want to talk to you, hm," Deidara snapped back.

"Good."

Maiko sighed as the two broke out into petty bickering, leaving her to wonder just where they were going.

* * *

_'Cold,'_ she thought bitterly, as she pulled at the thin material of her jounin clothing. From what she had gathered, they were in a cavern somewhere between the Land of Fire and Amegakure. It seemed to be a hideout for the Akatsuki as the entrance was sealed and could only be opened using the rings that both Deidara and Sasori had. Aside from the elaborately sealed door, the large cave was almost completely bare save but a small supply chest. The door was resealed once they entered to stop any travellers from wandering into the hide-out, so no fire could be lit to warm the unexpectedly cold, Amegakure, mid-day air.

"Sasori-danna, they didn't stock the supply chest we have no food, hm" Deidara complained loudly.

"Not my problem," Sasori replied bluntly not sparing a glance.

"I know you don't care but some of us need to eat!" Sasori huffed at his partner's short temper.

"Fine, take the girl with you."

Maiko looked towards the pair. The fact that she was to be escorted by the reckless blond suggested that the puppet held Deidara's abilities in high esteem. Though from what she had gathered from their arguments it was more likely that Sasori has grossly underestimated her.

"Maiko, we're going to get food from a town about 2 klicks from here," Deidara called to her. She nodded and made her way to the entrance of the cave.

"As innocent as that girl seems don't underestimate her," Sasori grumbled in a harsh whisper. "She was obviously chosen by Pein for a reason."

"Don't underestimate me, Sasori-danna. My art and I can handle it, hm"

"As I recall, your _art_," Sasori spat with distaste. "- Couldn't handle Itachi Uchiha."

Deidara sent frustrated glare in Sasori's direction, muttering under his breath how the Uchiha and puppet were just as bad as eachother. Glancing over towards the young kunoichi he came to the conclusion that she definitely wasn't another Itachi.

"Are you two done with your gossiping?" Maiko sighed, tossing an impatient scowl over her shoulder.

_'Though maybe another Sasori,' _Deidara thought with a tired sigh.

* * *

Akira tensed beside him, her eyes narrowing as she glanced around the forest.

"Anything?" he asked, dreading the obvious answer.

With a final twitch Akira returned his gaze, her eyes wide like a beaten puppy.

"Nothing," Akira answered, her voice coated in disappointment. "Sorry sir."

"It's fine. But we better work fast to pick up the trail again, we only have about a week before hunter-nin are dispatched."

"Right, well I researched all possible locations that they could have travelled to in the amount of time we lost them, and judging by the last direction we saw them heading; the logical area they would go to is this valley between the Land of Fire and Amegakure," the trainee hunter-nin reported, pulling a map out from her pack. Akira began to circle around the border with her finger before pointing to a barely visible black dot that indicated the location of a town. "It seems to be the only town for miles in any direction, and assuming that they had travelled through the night, that would be their most likely position.

I just find it strange sir, from what I've gathered, it seems that Maiko had been following the cloaked shinobi rather than being pursued as we assumed."

"It is quite strange," Saito sighed, clearly uncomfortable with the new information. "We should leave now, if we can catch her we can find out what's going on ourselves.

Besides, I think we've overstayed our visit at that hotel, that receptionist was quite unsettled, Akira." Leaping into the treetops he heard Akira chuckle as she caught up easily.

"I don't know what her problem was, all I asked was if she could identify the two murderers who entered the room, then all of a sudden she was in tears."

"Akira, civilians; outside of kirigakure in particular, are a lot more mentally fragile than shinobi. That girl had probably never experienced something as dramatic as death in her life," Saito explained calmly, remembering a similar conversation with Maiko many years ago.

"Well, no one was actually murdered."

"Yet you still used the term 'murderers'," he said pointedly, looking upon the younger girl with a condescending frown.

"Sir with all due respect you're only 3 years my elder, I request that you stop speaking with such a patronizing tone. Besides, I thought it would get her to talk faster," she finished with a pout. Akira was indeed an incredibly talented kunoichi, but prodigies often lacked other skills.

* * *

"I asked for a bowl of ramen, not a sob story," the frustrated brunette interrupted, her thin patience depleted. Deidara stared in amusement at the scene unfolding.

"I'm sorry, I'm just…emotional right now."

"Clearly."

The waitress wiped her tear-stained cheeks with her sleeve.

"Sorry, Miss. Two miso ramen." The girl fled to the counter, a series of sobs following her. Maiko sighed, relieved that the situation was over.

"How did you make her cry? hm," Deidara asked with a yawn.

"I refuse to believe this was entirely my fault. Look, there is an abundance of tissues stuffed into her pocket suggesting that she was prepared for crying-" Deidara followed Maiko's gaze to waitress. "This isn't a chronic emotional state as she was once stable enough to be hired as a waitress, so it was a recent event. She is a civilian so it is likely to be the death of someone close or a breakup." Maiko turned to pour herself a cup of tea, frowning as she attempted to weigh the two options.

"You didn't have many friends in your village, did you? Hm."

Maiko sat up a little straighter, surprised by Deidara's observation.

"How did you dedu-" realisation dawned upon her and she shot glares at the blond. Deidara's laughing only annoyed her further. "No. They called me pretentious and judgemental," She answered with a slight pout. Deidara's laughter only escalated.

"Yeah no kidding, you're too harsh," Deidara stated between chuckles. Maiko rolled her eyes.

"I don't see the issue, I'd rather be pretentious and judgemental over the emotional mess that she is," she gave a pointed look towards the waitress who was now being approached by an elderly man. The waitress offered him a sad smile as she engaged the man in a conversation regarding his granddaughter. Deidara gave a skeptical nod in response, but Maiko barely registered his action as she watched the waitress and the man converse.

"Ah, dear Aiko, I'm sorry for your loss. Your mother was an incredible woman-" the man gently patted the girl on the shoulder. Wiping away her tears with the back of her sleeve, the waitress gave a slight bow and gave her thanks.

"You were right, death of a loved one. Hm," Deidara sipped at his tea, losing interest in the mundane life of the civilian. Maiko continued to watch as an elderly woman joined the pair and offered the grief stricken waitress a hug. '_This emotional trainwreck receives a lot of pity,' _she thought spitefully. Following Deidara's lead she took a sip from her tea, masking her surprise at her bitter thoughts. Blankly, she stared at the waitress, reflecting on this sudden spite. '_...envy?' _

Maiko blinked. '_...what.' _She observed the concerned faces of local customers, offering condolences to the girl. She vaguely registered Deidara speaking to her.

"What's gotten you all dead inside?" Maiko sighed as she turned back to face Deidara.

"Hm...Just curious as to how many more breakdowns she is going to have before our food arrives," she added an eyeroll for dramatic effect. Deidara gave short laugh.

"You are just as impatient as Sasori-danna."


End file.
